It's been awhile since I said hello but I've been reading all the posts. I am feeling a bit whiney today. On Saturday I took my son to see Wicked. My husband was dropping us off and since he was pressed for time, I told him to drop us off and we'd walk the couple of blocks to the theatre as there was a lot of foot traffic. Well, I miscalculated the distance and it ended up being 12 blocks! I can walk 12 blocks but 12 blocks in the full sun.. not good. Of course I was okay that day, but the next day.. I had a rather awful flare that is still hanging on. Aches, grouchiness, lethargy..you know the drill.

So today, I had to drag myself in for my 6 week bloodwork appt. I don't know what that woman did but she used a needle that must have been meant for horses. It was thick.. and it (not to be too gross) would not go in smoothly and sort of got caught up on.. oh... a vein or something. It did not stop bleeding for a long time and of course my arm is killing me now.

Anyway.. just feeling "out of it" and all I want to do is crawl into bed and go to sleep. I'm at work though and still have another hour, plus an hour commute before I am home. UGH!

An HOUR commute????????? AKKKKKKK! I don't imagine there is any rest involved in a commute??? Sounds grueling.

WOW! I've never had an issue with blood draws, except when I'm dehydrated. One tech was kind enough to inform me that it made the blood draws really hard on the patient when you are dehydrated. Since then, I make sure do really hydrate before my draws.

It sounds, though, like there was a problem with that needle !! (or the tech for choosing a too large and jagged weapon !!)

I hope you are home soon and can relax all evening. I'm so sorry for all of you who feel ill and work too.

Blessings!

In His Grip

AlwaysRosie "We can't control the waves, but we can learn how to surf!!"

Girl, tell them to break out the butterfly needle for you! I have tiny veins and they usually have to use a butterfly on me. I'm sorry you are feeling so yucky! Hope you feel better soon. Bless you, Judy'

They have problems drawing my blood almost every time. My veins are tiny and fragile worse they can only get blood from my hands. I had one idiot refuse to get someone else to draw my blood until her supervisor came in and saw the 5 tries she had already made and heard me telling her I wanted someone else to try. Sadistic idiot. Try to drink as much fluids as possible and always tell them you have fragile veins so they go carefully some of them will just jab it in there with no care for what kind of pain or damage they cause otherwise.Dx:fibromyalgia 2002, systematic lupus 2005- definate CNS involvement dxed late 2005, psoriasis 2006, rheumatoid arthritis 2006, PTSD 2007, multiple allergies 2005, migraine, compression fractures T11 & T12, Sjögren's, damaged periphrial nerves 2007, Tx: plaquenil, Enbrel, Tramadol, Singulair, Skelaxin, Baby Asprin, Imuran, Procardia, Prilosec, Evoxac, Celebrex, Darvocet when things get too bad

((((((Hugs))))) I'm sorry you had a rotten day yesterday and I hope today is a better day. I think the lab tech maybe needed the horse needle used on her! I hope you were able to get some rest last night. Take care

Thanks to all that replied. I am feeling a little better as the days go on. Your needle comments cracked me up. I always ask for a butterfly needle but some dope told me that if you have large veins, which I do, that using a butterfly needle can skew results. I asked my doc and he poo pooed the idea but the same tech still believes it because that is what she was told in school.

((((( TiBoBi ))))) I agree with Judy, ask them to use the butterfly needle next time! I am sorry you are in a flare, take good care of yourself and rest up, hopefully it won't last too long. Take careStacie

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding ~ Proverbs 3:5 ~

LOL. How can anyone think the size of the needle will influence the blood???? Do you think the results will be different if you draw the blood in a room painted green vs. one painted red?

Sometimes it's totally interesting to just go through life calmly observing people....very strange and unusual things people believe...and even stranger the things that sometimes happen as a result of misguided ideas like this.

So sorry you got beat up by the nasty needle and the crazy nurse, your whine was certainly well deserved.